Things I Have Lately Been Thinking About

1. A lack of contentment is one of my major sins. It's terrible. It effects everything! And other than desperate prayer for an attitude change, I have no idea how to fix it! Lord help me.

2. I spend a lot of time browsing the internet because of the nature of my job (lots of downtime interrupted by freaked out students/parents/and why-are-you-even-calling-NAU-about-this-people on the phone), and I admit, I have kind of like reading the stupid news on Yahoo. Yahoo doesn't call it that, and actually takes itself quite seriously, but scanning the headlines today ("Bush's Emotional Interview", "Rarely Seen Celebrity Wives", "[Carrie] Underwood for Gay Marriage", "Zombie Plate Leads to Arrest"), there isn't exactly anything that could really be called serious news. It's mostly celebrity/weird people gossip (think "Tanning Mom"), and strange news, with the occasional badly reported political item in there. And I was convicted recently that if I am interested in and reading gossip about people, celebrities or otherwise, am I not breaking God's commands for not gossiping? I excuse it in my mind by thinking, "Oh, I don't know them personally, so it doesn't count," but I would hazard to guess that 90% of what the "news" reports is actually false information, or at least incomplete information, about celebrities and other folk who make it to the sites, and if I am believing it, talking about it, and judging celebrities and their lifestyles based on that, am I not participating wholeheartedly in what God disapproves of? I'm going to have to be much  more careful about what "stupid news" I indulge in, if at all.

3. I love England. Everything about it. I really want to travel there again one day. Or live there. I'm cool with that too. It's becoming a bit of an unmanageable obsession. Whether it's Doctor Who, Harry Potter, reading up on the royals (ARG! See #2), dreaming of Oxford, collecting pictures of British sites on Pinterest, drinking tea, reading British literature, and generally seeing my American vocabulary tilt bit by bit in a British direction...sigh. I think I have a problem. Now to convince the hubby that this is all quite reasonable...that surely there are parks and rec job opportunities across the pond...

Eli Paul Phelps, 5/25/12 5lbs, 12 oz

While we were away on our trip, my younger brother's son was born! Dani (his wife) had our nephew, Eli Paul Phelps on Saturday. Eli is original and Paul is after my grandfather who died in 2009. He was a little early, but he is beautiful and healthy, and weighing in at 5lbs 12oz, he over a pound heavier than the doctors thought he would be. Included some pictures of when Cooper and I went to meet him on Monday. :-)

Universal Studios, Orlando 2012

Cooper and I went to Universal Studios in Orlando as an early anniversary celebration (2 years June 19th!) Cooper planned this trip as a "surprise" but told me about a month beforehand where we were going by giving me a personalized Hogwarts acceptance letter. :-) Facebook hates me for photo uploads; I tried both our computers, so hopefully you'll enjoy the photos this way. You'll have to forgive the lack of rotation on some of the photos...I forgot to change them pre-uploading and there was no way to do it after the fact.

My Hogwarts acceptance letter!

Where we stowed our bag the first day. Waste of $8.

Goofy hat

Entering the Wizarding World of Harry Potter!

By the Hogwarts Express (not a ride, just a prop that made noise and shot off steam)

Cooper demonstrating Puking Pastilles outside of Zonko's Joke Shop in Hogsmeade

Wanted poster for Sirius Black

All the employees dressed like this...it was awesome. Aside from the Florida heat and the palm trees, I could almost imagine it was England!

Hogwarts castle

Waiting in line in one of the Hogwarts greenhouses

Entering the castle

Cool statue

House points. Glad to see Hufflepuff was ahead of Ravenclaw. I think there was far too much emphasis on Gryffindor and Slytherin though.

The "elevator" to Dumbledore's "office"

The Pensieve!

Mr. Weasley's enchanted Ford Anglia

Triwizard Tournament Dragon Challenge roller coaster

The Goblet of Fire

The roller coaster!

I was trying to get Cooper to stop taking my picture and get on the ride!

Inside Zonko's

Extendable Ears!

Apparently Zonko's carries Weasley products

The Three Broomsticks

Got butterbeer?

The Middle Eastern/Sinbad/Greek themed area. I didn't really get it.

Definitely some cool looking structures.

For you, Sarah Lanting!

I think he caught the back of my head while yawning. Standing in line made me perpetually tired.

Love him!

Cooper was far more committed to this picture than I was.

Everyone needs Jesus, actually, but what's an amusement park without some political indoctrination, right?

Me in the Truffula Trees

Cooper and Cyclops

These cool lizards were everywhere

For you, Grace! Curious George!

Opening for the Blues Brothers

Sarah, you could get a job interpreting at a theme park!

The Blues Brothers

For you, Alia! Me and Lucy

We found Cooper's favorite...funnel cake!

Managed to catch a cool parade...there's a minion!

The minions were my favorite

Spongebob and Patrick

I was impressed by the chiffon dancers

Dora the Explorer

Beatlejuice Musical Review...fun singing, unnecessarily off-color jokes.

More pictures from the Wizarding World of Harry Potter

At the Hogs Head

Hogsmeade

Butterbeer was quite refreshing on a hot day

My favorite shot of the castle. It ALMOST doesn't look like Florida.

Frog choir

Durmstrang students

Beauxbatons students

More frog choir

Cooper getting pulled along by Marmaduke